A Virginia man was arrested Friday morning on charges of attempting to provide material support for the Islamic State after allegedly scouting several targets in the Washington, D.C., area for terrorist attacks, the Justice Department announced.
Haris Qamar, 25, of Burke, Va., met with an FBI confidential witness to discuss a purported video the Islamic State was producing to promote lone wolf attacks in D.C. and its surrounding areas. The video was a set-up, however: there was no such thing in the works.
According to the Justice Department, in multiple conversations between Qamar and the confidential witness, some of which were recorded on audio and video, Qamar identified places to take photographs to be used in the video that would be suitable for terrorist attacks. Locations included the Pentagon and landmarks in Arlington, Va., and within the District.
Qamar allegedly said, “Bye bye D.C., stupid ass kufar, kill’em all,” during an encounter with the confidential witness in June.
The Justice Department said Qamar also claimed interest in violence associated with the Islamic State and said he loved bodies, blood and beheadings. He allegedly described for the confidential witness the process he would use to kill someone.
The affidavit said Qamar discussed some U.S. military members who lived near him and were on the Islamic State’s “kill list,” which was published online on Sept. 11, 2015 with names and addresses of various service members. Qamar noted undercover police cars had been spotted near those homes.
Several days later, on Sept. 16, Qamar tweeted a prayer for Allah to “give strength to the mujahideen to slaughter every single U.S. military officer.”
The affidavit said Qamar attempted to join the Islamic State in 2014, but was prevented because his parents kept his passport and said they would inform law enforcement authorities should he attempt to join the terrorists.
According to the allegations, Qamar said he would try to join the Islamic State if he could obtain his passport.
If convicted, Qamar could face up to 20 years in prison. His initial court appearance was set for Friday at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.
